Monthly Archives: August 2012

We literally just finished most of our container jobs about a week ago. And due to our very mild, moist spring, things are doing very well. A little heat wouldn’t hurt (especially if we even have a prayer of ripening our tomatoes) but right now, as things are getting established and settled in they are looking pretty good. We planted over 200 containers this season! Some were residential, some commercial. We loved them all. Each container is individually designed keeping in mind so many things….exposure, color preference, texture, shape, size of container, scale, plant preferences by the client, maintenance, style and of course, budget. We planted on top of buildings, at water’s edge, in large plazas, at a mountain resort and in small intimate backyards. And each time we tried to design the best combination of plant material we could, given all of those factors. Complicated? Yes. Worth it? You bet. We were told this spring that the sale of a house was contingent on whether the buyer would be able to keep the containers planted by us. That was the only contingency! Worth it? Yep. And every year we learn more. We learned more tricks to keep things better hydrated. We figured out a way to improve our designs while improving our efficiency. But the real test is later in the season, when the plants mature and start to weave together to form their special magic. As the tall ones stretch up and the trailers start to spill over will this be the magic we were looking for? Will this stop you in your tracks or make you sigh with contentment when you see it? That’s our goal. We make detailed notes at every job. Each container is noted – is the soil dry? Are the existing plants in good shape? What stays? What goes? What will need to be replaced next season? What really worked well and what didn’t perform the way we expected? Next season all of that goes into the decisions with the idea that every season will be better. More successful. More breathtaking. It’s a tough job…but somebody’s got to do it. Lucky us.